


The Haunting of Kurt Hummel

by grlnxtdr29



Category: Glee
Genre: Attempted Suicide, M/M, Near Death Experience, This is my Halloween story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2020-10-28 13:50:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20779634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grlnxtdr29/pseuds/grlnxtdr29
Summary: Kurt Hummel is no stranger to death. After an out of body experience, he becomes even more connected with the spirit world, attempting to help those with unfinished business to let go and move on. But one spirit wants more than Kurt is willing to give. Can he save himself, and Blaine, from the vengeful entity? My New Halloween story! Check the A/N for Trigger Warnings!





	1. The New Kid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kurt Hummel is no stranger to death. After an out of body experience, he becomes even more connected with the spirit world, attempting to help those with unfinished business to let go and move on. But one spirit wants more than Kurt is willing to give. Can he save himself, and Blaine, from the vengeful entity? My New Halloween story! Check the A/N for Trigger Warnings!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N Okay, it’s that time of year again! My favorite time of year to write, Halloween! I hope you all enjoy this year’s offering!
> 
> Warning for descriptions of attempted suicide. If this is a trigger, skip to the ellipses.
> 
> Reviews are Spooktacular!  
…

The New Kid

Kurt Hummel was no stranger to death. It had visited his life regularly throughout his sixteen years. The first time had been when he was four, and his grandfather had passed away. And again a year later when his grandmother had followed him. Then, when he was eight, his mother had passed away. 

But perhaps his most intimate encounter with death had come just weeks ago. He had welcomed its embrace, having been pushed to the limits of his ability to cope with life. But he had been pulled back. His father had found him, passed out on the floor of his bathroom, the empty pill bottle forgotten on the floor beside him.

It had been a strange experience. Kurt had found himself floating above the scene, watching his dad screaming in terror for help. The look on Burt Hummel’s face had shocked him. His dad looked as if someone had ripped his heart to shreds. How could Kurt have done that to him? That look would haunt him for the rest of his life.

And then Carole was there, pulling Kurt from his dad’s hands and laying him out, beginning CPR. Paramedics rushed in. Kurt caught a glimpse of Finn standing in the doorway, a look of utter disbelief on his face. 

There was a rushing sensation, and then he was in a hospital room. A tube was forced down his throat, his stomach suctioned. He was assailed on every side by loud noises, beeping from machines that breathed for him, shouting by the doctors and nurses as they fought to stabilize him. And over all of it, the sound of his father’s anguished cries as he asked over and over, why?

At one point he sensed another presence nearby, familiar, loved, and so missed. He felt rather than heard her calling to him, inviting him to remain, to let go, but he couldn’t look away from his dad. He couldn’t leave him, not like this.

He felt his mother’s spirit wrap him in love, heard her voice whisper, “Someday, when you are ready, I will be here waiting for you. Remember, no matter how bad it gets, you are so very loved. And soon, you will meet someone who will prove it to you. But beware, what you did today will have consequences. I am not the only one who watches you from the other side. The veil will be thinner now, and some of them may try to break free. You must be careful.”

He had wanted to ask her what she meant, but a loud noise drew his attention, and he saw his body writhe as they placed paddles to it, and felt himself being pulled back into his shell.

…

Blaine sat outside the headmaster’s office, not sure why he had been called in. He hoped it wasn’t another attempt by the administration to psychoanalyze him after the incident. He didn’t want to talk about it. The police had cleared him of any wrongdoing. He had been the victim, after all.

He shook his head to clear it from those thoughts, as the door opened and Headmaster Michealson waved him in. The first thing he noticed as he entered was the pale boy with auburn hair, who kept his head down, gaze on the floor. Beside him was an older gentleman, most likely his father.

“Mr. Anderson, allow me to introduce you to the Hummels, Kurt, and his father, Burt. Gentlemen, this is Blaine Anderson. Kurt will be your new roommate.”

He forced a smile to his face as the pale boy briefly raised his eyes to glance at him, but didn’t speak. Headmaster Michealson addressed them once again.

“I’d like you to show Mr. Hummel around the school, introduce him to some of the other boys. I’ve asked Mr. Montgomery to allow him to try out for the Warblers. He was a part of his previous school’s Glee club.”

Blaine nodded as the other two men stood. The older man leaned down and whispered something to the pale boy, who only nodded in response, and hugged him tightly. “I’m sorry, Dad,” he heard him whisper. The older man hugged him back.

“I know, kiddo. I love you.”

Mr. Hummel paused as he moved towards Blaine, looking him over. He must have approved of what he saw in Blaine, because he just nodded, shook his hand, and walked away.

“I’ll have someone take your things to the room in a little while. In the meantime, it is lunchtime. Blaine will show you to the cafeteria. The pale man just nodded and slung his satchel over his shoulder, and followed Blaine out of the office.

They walked in silence for a moment, before Blaine spoke. “So, which hellhole of a public school did you transfer from?”

The boy glanced at him sharply before looking back down. “What makes you think I transferred from public school?”

Blaine gave him a wry smile, even though the other boy didn’t look up to see it. “You have that look in your eyes. I’ve seen it on more than one mid-semester transfer. Hell, I used to see it in my mirror all the time.” Still did, though he didn’t say that out loud.

“And what kind of look is that?”

“The one that says, ‘I knew life was rough, but no one told me it would be a living hell.’ Let me guess, you were bullied pretty badly?”

Kurt shrugged, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. “Is that why you are here?”

Blaine nodded. Dalton was supposed to be a safe place with its zero tolerance, no harassment policy. 

“So, why were you bullied?” Blaine asked, although he was sure he could guess.

The pale boy quickly shifted his eyes back to the ground, hunching his shoulders as if to protect himself. “I’m gay,” he said, voice so quiet, Blaine almost didn’t hear him.

Blaine shrugged, and smiled at him. “Me too. That’s why I was bullied. You don’t have to worry about that here, though. You’ll find that most of the student body are accepting of you, and those who aren’t don’t want to risk being expelled, so they will leave you alone.”

The other boy just shrugged again. Blaine didn’t blame him for having doubts. He’d had his own when he’d first come to Dalton, but after a while, he’d realized he was safe, and had lost the stooped shoulders and defensive position, and began to walk with confidence once more. 

“So, which public school was it?” he asked again.

“McKinley,” the auburn haired boy finally answered.

Blaine smiled at him. “William McKinley? As in The New Directions? Is it true you guys won your sectionals last year, despite having your set list stolen?”

A ghost of a smile passed over the taller boy’s face for a moment, before disappearing. “Yes.”

They reached the cafeteria, which was full of boys in blazers. He led Kurt through the food line, noticing the boy only took a small salad and a bottle of water. 

“Do you mind sitting with the Warblers? You’re going to audition for them anyway, right? Might as well meet them now.”

Kurt just shrugged. He lead the pale boy to the large table near the back, where more than a dozen boys sat, all smiling and laughing. 

“Blaine!” a handsome Asian boy called out. “There you are! Where have you been?”

“Michealson called me into his office to introduce me to my new roommate. Guys, this is Kurt Hummel. Kurt, these are the Warblers. Wes is the lead councilman, along with David and Thad. The rest of them can introduce themselves, although you might not want to associate with some of them, unless you like hanging out in detention.”

“Hey!” a tall blonde boy looked offended. “It was only once! And no one said you had to join in!”

Blaine rolled his eyes. “No one told me the punch was spiked, Jeff!”

The boy sitting on the blonde’s other side grinned. “You needed to loosen up. Besides, you didn’t get detention anyway. You sweet talked and charmed your way out of it, as usual.”

“Guys,” David said, “You’re going to scare away the new guy before he’s even auditioned!”

“So, Kurt, was it?” Wes asked. “You were in your old school's show choir?”

“Yes, New Directions.”

The young Asian man raised his eyebrow. He’d heard some things about New Directions through the Asian community chat rooms, but for the moment he just smiled at the younger boy. “Warblers meeting is today at three thirty. You can audition then.”

The pale boy nodded and picked at his salad, although Blaine noticed he only ate a slice of tomato.

…

After lunch, Kurt followed Blaine to his first class of the afternoon, French V. “You must be very fluent if you are in the level five,” The curly haired boy observed.

Kurt shrugged. “I started studying French when I was six. My mother taught me for two years, and then I took online tutorials.”

“That’s cool. I’ve only met one other person who was that fluent.” The darker boy frowned.

“Is he in this class?” Kurt asked.

Blaine’s frown deepened. “He was. He died last semester.”

“Oh,” Kurt said, feeling a shiver down his back. “I’m sorry. Was he a friend of yours?”

Blaine shook his head. “I wouldn’t call him that.”

Kurt noticed the other boy seemed uncomfortable talking about it, so shrugged his shoulders.

Blaine seemed to shake himself out of a memory, and then smiled at Kurt. “Well, I’ll see you after class. You have AP Calculus next, same as me.”

“Oh, I thought you were older. I didn’t realize you were a junior, too.” Kurt said.

“I’m not. I should be, but I missed half my freshman year and had to retake it. I just have a few AP classes, since I tested extremely high in those subjects.”

Kurt didn’t know what to say to that, so just thanked the curly haired boy once more and took his seat, glancing around the room, relieved when he didn’t spot any of them staring back at him, unlike in the cafeteria, where he had felt more than one pair of eyes focused on him. 

He sighed and opened his course book as the teacher began the class.

After French, Blaine met him at the door and showed him to their shared Calculus class, followed by History. When the final bell rang, Blaine once again met him at the door.

“Ready to see your dorm room now?” The darker boy asked. Kurt just shrugged his shoulders. 

The room was larger than Kurt was expecting. Two full size beds with heavy wooden frames occupied two corners of the room. The other two corners each had a computer desk, while book shelves lined the walls between the doors and the desks. Between the two beds were a pair of matching wardrobes, and a large double window. In the center of the room was a couch and coffee table, and two very comfortable looking padded chairs. There was another door on the left wall between the desk and the bed.

While the right half of the room was clearly occupied, the left was bare, except for the luggage and a couple boxes sitting on the bed.

“Well, here it is. Home sweet home. Such as it is. That’s the bathroom, there,” Blaine pointed to the door off to the left. “We share it with Trent and Beatz in the dorm next door, so make sure to check the lock if you want privacy. We have about thirty minutes before Warbler’s practice if you want to freshen up, or unpack some.”

Kurt set his messenger bag on the bed next to his boxes, and sat down, facing the other boy, and for the first time really looked at him. Blaine was a little shorter than him, with dark curly hair that was gelled into submission. He had a friendly smile, and warm hazel eyes that seemed to notice everything. Over all, Kurt thought the other boy was handsome, in a dapper, 50’s movie star kind of way.

“Have you always had the room to yourself?” Kurt asked.

Blaine frowned and shook his head. “I had a roommate last semester. The boy I was telling you about earlier, actually.”

Kurt frowned too. “The one who died?”

Blaine nodded. “We didn’t exactly get along.”

“Oh. Well, I hope I’m a better roommate than he was. I promise not to leave my clothes laying around, and to keep my half of the room neat.” Kurt babbled nervously.

Blaine just smiled at him. “I’m sure you and I will get along much better. You don’t seem as cocky and arrogant as he was.”

Kurt flashed a hesitant smile. He lowered his eyes to the ground, a slightly thoughtful expression dawning on his face and didn’t notice he mouthed a thought to himself.

“Did you say something?” Blaine asked

The pale boy’s head shot up suddenly and his eyes became rounded in surprise. Clearly, he hadn’t noticed that the other boy was still watching him. “Oh...um, no,” he said, tearing his eyes away from Blaine.

Blaine smiled at him. “Really? I’m pretty sure I heard you say something about the right and wrong way to be cocky.”

Kurt’s pale face flushed with color and his eyes darted around the room in an effort to look anywhere but at Blaine. “I should...I should unpack something.”

Blaine looked chagrined. “I’m sorry, I was just teasing you a little. I tend to use humor as a tension breaker.”

Kurt just shrugged. “It’s okay. I just didn’t realize I’d spoken out loud.”

“Do you do that often?” Blaine asked. “Talk to yourself, I mean. Not that there's anything wrong with it, I tend to do it myself now and then.”

Kurt shrugged. “Sometimes it feels like the only time I get to have an intelligent conversation with someone.”

Blaine laughed at that. “Touche.”

As Kurt began putting his clothes in the wardrobe, Blaine’s cell phone pinged an incoming text.

“Oh, hey, it’s from Wes. He wants us to come down to the Warbler’s hall a little early.”

Kurt glanced at the other boy. “Why?”

“He didn’t say. Maybe he wants to ask you a few questions before your audition.”

Kurt nodded and placed the scarf he had just folded into the top drawer. “Do I have time to use the restroom first?”

Blaine nodded and began to text Wes back. Kurt slipped into the bathroom, which had two sinks, two separate toilet stalls, and a large shower stall. The wall behind the sink counter was one long mirror.

Kurt glanced at his reflection for a moment, before turning on the faucet to splash some water on his face. When he finished, he reached for the terry cloth towel folded neatly on a shelf to the side (no paper towels here,) and dried off. As he stood up straight once again, he had to hold back a startled yelp.

Where his own face should have been, the mirror was warped, as if it had turned to silver liquid, and another face seemed to be pushing through the reflective surface.


	2. The Guide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! The response to the first chapter was amazing! I’m so happy you guys are enjoying it so far, and I hope you enjoy the rest. I hope to post at least one or two chapters each week leading up to Halloween, although I’ll be in a foot cast until at least Halloween Day, so updates may be a little on the short side!
> 
> Reviews are always appreciated!

Kurt took a deep breath, and then glared at the face in the mirror. “Chandler! How many times have I told you not to do that?” He hissed out quietly, not wanting Blaine to hear him.

The silvery face pushed through, and took on a more human look. A form of a young man about the same height as Kurt appeared, with blondish hair and glasses framing his face. “I can’t help it, it’s fun to watch you jump every time!”

“Shh! Keep your voice down!” Kurt said, glancing towards the door, which was slightly ajar.

“Why? You’re the only one who can hear me, remember?”

Kurt frowned. “What do you want, Chandler?”

“Just checking in, seeing how you’re doing, like any good spirit guide would.”

Kurt sighed and straightened his hair. “I’m fine, and I don’t need a guide! Spirit or otherwise!”

“Oh, so when the next spirit comes wandering through the walls seeking your assistance, you aren’t going to freak out and throw a book at it?” Chandler said, pointedly rubbing the side of his head.

Kurt opened his mouth to reply, but Blaine called out just then. “Kurt, are you ready to go?”

The pale man glared at the ghost and raised a finger to his lips, needlessly reminding the spirit to remain silent. “Wait here!” he mouthed, before exiting the bathroom. “Ready!”

…

Chandler sighed and watched Kurt leave, shaking his head. The living never seemed to take these things seriously at first. They didn’t seem to understand how vulnerable they were. 

The spirit guide turned to the wall on the opposite side of the dorm room and glared at the entity trying to push through. “Give it up. You won’t break through. You have no unfinished business here. Why do you refuse to move on?”

The dark shadow seemed to shriek silently in rage, before dissipating back into the ether, although it hadn’t given up. It was just biding its time. 

…

When they arrived in the Warblers’ commons, Kurt expected to find Wes and the other Warbler councilmen waiting for them with some questions. He was not expecting to find the Asian boy confronting a short Jewish Diva, who was being restrained by his stepbrother.

“Finn? What’s going on?”

The taller boy looked over at him in relief. “I’m sorry, Kurt, I tried to stop her!”

“Kurt Hummel, how dare you abandon us for the enemy! I swear, if you so much as breathe one word of our set list I’ll-”

“That’s enough, Rachel!” Finn said, pulling the girl around to face him. “Kurt didn’t abandon New Directions! I told you how bad the bullying was getting for him! He didn’t feel safe anymore!”

The petite girl just scoffed. “And it just happened to come up right before sectionals? That’s a likely story! He’s probably just jealous that I’m so much more talented than he is! What, you think the Warblers are going to give you a solo?”

Kurt wanted to slap her so hard, but didn’t want to get in trouble. “First off, we both know I’m way more talented than you! The only reason you get the solos is because Mr. Schue is too chicken to push the boundries by having a gay kid singing girl songs. And second, who the hell do you think you are telling me what I can and can not do? Who died and made you the fucking Queen?”

The brown haired girl glared at him even more. “Kurt! You know we can’t compete without twelve members! We need you!”

“And I need Dalton’s zero tolerance no bullying policy! I wasn’t safe at McKinley! Don’t you get it? Or do you think the week I spent in the hospital was just me over exaggerating? Get out, Rachel! I don’t need your drama!”

The girl stomped her foot like the spoiled brat she was, and opened her mouth to say something else, but several of the other Warblers Kurt hadn’t even realized had arrived moved to block her, and David coldly glared her down. “Let me show you the door.” Kurt was surprised by the Warblers’ actions. They didn’t even know him, yet didn’t hesitate to step in and protect him.

With one last huff of indignation, she turned and stomped out of the room. Finn watched her go, and then turned back to Kurt, wary of the other boys in uniform around them. “I’m sorry, Kurt. I really did try to stop her.”

Kurt sighed and shrugged. “I’m not mad at you, Finn. I know you did your best. But it’s Rachel. You know she never takes no as an answer.”

His stepbrother smiled wryly, and then glanced around at the other boys, who were still forming a protective barrier around the pale boy. “Um, can we talk for a moment, in private?”

The Warblers glanced at him, as if one word from the auburn haired man and they would drag the other boy out. Kurt smiled. “Come out to the hallway, Finn.”

…

Blaine watched the two boys walk out of the room, curious about who the taller boy was. Did Kurt have a boyfriend? He felt only a little guilty as he moved closer to the door, trying to hear what the boys were saying.

…

Once they were alone, Finn hugged the shorter boy. “I’m sorry, Kurt. I should have done more to protect you.”

Kurt sighed, and hugged the boy back. “You tried, Finn, but you couldn’t be there twenty four-seven. Karofsky is unstable. He would have found a way to attack me, no matter what you and the others did.”

“But I should have realized how bad it was for you! Seeing you laying on that floor, that was the most scared I’ve ever been!”

It was Kurt’s turn to feel guilty. “I’m sorry, Finn. I wasn’t thinking about how everyone else would feel. I just-”

“I get it, dude. But we’re brothers, and brothers should protect each other.”

…

Brothers? That was Kurt’s brother? They didn’t look much alike. But then again, he and Cooper didn’t resemble each other much either, except the hair, Blaine thought.

Not wanting to get caught eavesdropping, Blaine moved away from the door, processing what he’d learned about Kurt so far. The boy had been bullied pretty severely, and had been hospitalized for a week because of it.

It really seemed like the boy needed a mentor, someone to guide him through the rough time he was going through. Blaine could be that for him.

Kurt returned a moment later, alone. Wes approached him before Blaine. “Are you alright?”

The pale boy nodded. “Sorry about that. I knew Rachel would be upset about my transfer, but I never thought she;d go psycho.”

The older Warbler just smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “Relax. We get it. Just so you know, when we say zero tolerance, the Warblers mean it. If anyone bothers you, Dalton student or not, just let us know, and we’ll handle it.”

Kurt was surprised. “ But I’m not even a Warbler yet!”

“Actually, that was why I asked Blaine to bring you down early. I was curious about New Directions, so I went to YouTube and checked out some of your competition videos, and a few others I found. You really are more talented than that girl, and if we didn’t already have a set list for sectionals, I would consider giving you an audition for a solo. If we make it to regionals, I might still consider it.”

Blaine was as surprised by this news as Kurt was, and wondered what Wes had seen in the videos that had impressed him that much.

…

Kurt half dreaded going to dinner that night, knowing that there would be several spirits trying to get his attention. He’d sensed them earlier at lunch, and had been grateful they hadn’t tried to approach him then, but it was only a matter of time before one of them got bold enough to try and communicate with him.

He’d encountered his first spirit, Chandler, before he’d even left the hospital. He’d been under sedation at the time, and had convinced himself it was a hallucination, but then the spirit showed up in his bedroom at home. Kurt hadn’t reacted well. He’d thrown a book at the boy, and then fainted when the book passed through the boy’s head. 

There had been a few others since. He quickly learned it was a lot easier to help them finish whatever business they’d left unfinished than it was to ignore them. He was in line getting his food when the first one approached him.

“Look behind the wardrobe in dorm 274. Make sure my mom gets what you find there! Please!”

Kurt held back his sigh, and gave a barely perceptible nod to let the spirit know he understood. He didn’t know how he was going to get into someone else’s dorm room, but he’d figure it out.


	3. The Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N Before I forget, I really want to say thank you to KurtandBlaineGleek for Betaing this for me! And second, Thank you all for your reactions to this story! It may not get finished by Halloween, as I am currently in a foot cast, and have a head cold and an outer ear infection, but I am doing my best to update as regularly as I can!
> 
> Reviews are always welcome!
> 
> …

The Favor

It turned out that getting into room 274 was easier than expected. The dorm belonged to Wes and David, who invited Kurt to join them, Blaine, and most of the other Warblers for a movie night later that week. Searching behind the wardrobe was more difficult, since there were two of them just like in the room Kurt shared with Blaine, and the room was full of boys, so it would be difficult to explain why he was looking behind the furniture.

The first issue was resolved about an hour and a half into the movie, when the same spirit that had approached Kurt in the cafeteria earlier in the week peeked around the edge of the wardrobe on David’s side of the room, the one nearest the bathroom, and drew Kurt’s attention. As the pale boy glanced over in the spirit’s direction, Kurt felt Blaine shiver beside him. Kurt wondered at that for the briefest of moments, as there was no draft in the room, which was actually quite warm with so many boys crowded in it, but the thought was gone before he could really dwell on it. Instead, he began to consider his options of how to search behind the large piece of furniture.

“I’m going to use the restroom,” he murmured a few minutes later, rising from his spot on the floor in front of the couch. The other boys were so engrossed in the movie that they didn’t pay him much attention as he moved towards the other side of the room. He walked to the bathroom door, but paused and looked back. No one was watching, so he dropped to his knees and crawled to the wardrobe.

“It’s in a large manila envelope wedged between the wooden brace in the back,” The spirit said. Kurt nodded and slipped his hand between the wall and the large wooden structure. It was a tight squeeze, and he didn’t have much room to maneuver, but after a moment he felt something disrupt the smooth polished wood. He grabbed a corner, and carefully pulled it out.

The envelope gave no indication of what might be inside, and while Kurt’s curiosity was piqued, he wasn’t sure if he should look inside, especially not here, where one of the other boys might glance over at any moment. He tucked the envelope into the waistband of his pants at the small of his back, pulling his blazer down over it, before making his way back over to the couch area where the other boys were. 

“I’m tired, I’m going to head back to my room now,” he informed them quietly.

Blaine looked up at him. “Do you want me to come with you?” He asked beginning to rise.

Kurt waved him back down. “No, stay and watch the movie. I’m just going to sleep.”

He said good night to the others, and made his way back to the dorm, the spirit walking beside him. Well, giving the illusion of walking beside him, anyway. It was more like gliding along on a cushion of air. The entity didn’t actually need to move his legs to follow Kurt.

“So, what’s in the envelope?” Kurt asked, voice barely above a whisper, just in case any other boys were around. He didn’t want to be seen talking to himself.

“Stock certificates, and the key to my lockbox at the bank, along with instructions that my father not be allowed to access any of the money. After he divorced my mother, he left her and my little sister penniless. The only reason he sent me to Dalton was to try and drive a wedge between them and me. I saved all the money he gave me, and invested some of it so I could help her out. But I lost control of my car one night in a storm on my way back here after my dad had insisted I attend one of his stupid dinner parties.”

“I’m sorry,” Kurt murmured as he opened the door to his room. “How long ago was that?”

The spirit shrugged. “I’m not sure. I think ten years? It’s hard to judge time when you’re dead.”

Kurt frowned. This could be a problem. If ten years had passed, this boy’s mother may not still live at the same address. “I’ll need your name, and your mother’s name, to be able to send her this,” he said, slipping the envelope out of the back of his pants. Kurt found a sticky note, and took down the boy’s information, and the last known address for his mother, then slipped them all into the drawer in his desk. “I’ll do my best to get these to them.”

The spirit smiled, and nodded. “Thank you. You have no idea how much this has been weighing on me all these years.”

Kurt smiled, and watched as the spirit faded out. With a sigh, he began to get ready for bed, grabbing up his pajamas and heading into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Across the room, the dark entity raged and pushed against the barrier, frustrated and angered as it refused to budge.

…

Blaine sighed as he sat down between Kurt and Nick for lunch Friday, glaring at Wes. “Thanks a lot!”

The Asian boy frowned at him. “What?”

“You told Michealson I wanted to volunteer to be on the decorating committee for the Halloween party?”

The councilmember frowned. “That wasn’t what I said! I told him some of the Warblers might be interested, but I didn’t mention any names!”

Blaine continued to frown. “Well, he’s just made me head of the committee, which so far consists of just me and Jacobi, and you know he’ll disappear the moment it comes to doing any real work!”

“I’m sure some of the Warblers will help,” Wes said, glancing around at the other boys, who all looked away, or pretended to be absorbed in conversation, or suddenly fascinated with their food, pointedly refusing to acknowledge their leader.

“I’ll help,” Kurt said softly beside Blaine. He turned to look at the pale boy, who was staring at his food. The auburn haired boy still hadn’t eaten much since arriving at Dalton, as far as Blaine could tell, although instead of his usual salad, the boy had actually chosen the lasagna roll up that was the day’s special, and had actually eaten more than two bites. Blaine wondered about the taller boy’s lack of appetite, but didn’t know how to talk to him about it.

“Really? That would be great, you’d be doing me a huge favor!”

Kurt just shrugged, giving him that barely there smile he’d only seen a couple of times. “Just tell me what you need me to do, and when.”

Blaine smiled back at him. The pale boy was kind of pretty when he smiled like that. “The party is two days before Sectionals, which gives us just under two weeks to plan. We can work on it after dinner tonight in our dorm room, if I can track down Jacobi and give him the message.”

…

Kurt didn’t know why he’d volunteered. He wasn’t overly fond of Halloween, but for some reason he couldn’t explain, he hadn’t liked seeing Blaine stressed out over this, and had spoken before he could really stop and think about it. 

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Blaine had made him feel comfortable here at Dalton. He hadn’t believed the darker boy when he’d said that Dalton was a safe place, but in the week he’d been here so far, no one had taunted him for his sexuality, no one had body checked him into the lockers, and no one had thrown a slushie in his face or tossed him in a dumpster.

So far, the most traumatic thing that had happened since his arrival here had been when the spirit of one of the former lunch ladies had cornered him in one of the bathrooms between classes to rant about how the lady in charge of cooking the food now used too much oregano and not enough basil in the spaghetti sauce, and that they never cooked her ‘famous’ blackberry peach cobbler anymore.

Kurt had hastily informed her that he’d pass on her concerns to the current kitchen staff, quickly washed his hands, and all but ran from the bathroom.

After Warbler practice, he walked to the cafeteria with Blaine, who informed him that Jacobi had bailed on them. “He’s got a date with his girlfriend, Cynthia, so it’ll just be you and me working on it tonight. I couldn’t convince anyone else to join.”

Kurt shrugged and got his tray. “It’s okay. I’m sure we can figure things out.” He glanced over the selections for dinner, and was relieved to find a polenta and fish dish that hopefully wouldn’t upset his stomach. They also had tapioca pudding. Ever since his hospital stay, he’d had digestive problems.

They sat at their usual table with the other Warblers, who talked about the party, but refused to offer any help when Blaine begged them to join the committee. After they ate, Kurt and Blaine returned to their room, already discussing theme ideas.

“What kinds of themes have they done in the past?” Kurt asked, momentarily distracted by another spirit in the hallway. This one hadn’t really tried approaching Kurt yet, always just looking at him in curiosity every now and then. This time, the entity, a young woman, seemed to be studying Blaine. After a moment, she gave a sad smile, and nodded at Kurt before fading away.

Not sure what that was about, he returned his attention to Blaine. “They usually just pick a horror flick, and center the party around that. Last year it was a tribute to Stephen King.”

Kurt nodded as they entered the dorm room. “So basically, it’s just your average teen gore fest.”

Blaine smiled at him. “Basically. But I’m hoping to change things up this year. Give it a bit more class, maybe.”

“What did you have in mind?”

Blaine grinned. “Classic Hollywood horror movies! Bela Lugosi’s Dracula! Lon Chaney’s Wolfman!”

Kurt couldn’t help but return the grin. “I like it. What else?”

Blaine was very animated as he went on describing his ideas. “We could go very old school on the decorations, but nothing too cheesy. We’ll encourage everyone to dress up as zombies and old Hollywood monsters! None of these modern slasher characters. And maybe we can do a haunted house!”

The smile left Kurt’s face. Haunted houses no longer appealed to him. He was about to respond, but just then Chandler came stumbling through the wall. The spirit guide looked disheveled and unusually upset.

“We need to talk!”


	4. The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N I’m sorry I didn’t get more done on this story before Halloween, but as someone told me, it’s okay, cause now you all get to enjoy the season a little longer! The good news is, I got my cast off, and I am feeling a whole lot better! So of course, my computer had to go on the fritz for a week to trip me up again! But it’s fixed now!
> 
> Reviews always welcome!

The Past

Kurt frowned at the ghost, thankful that Blaine had his back to him at that moment. He excused himself from the other boy, feigning a need to use the restroom before they continued. Once the door closed behind him, he turned to face the spirit guide.

“What is so important you came barging through the wall?” He asked in a harsh whisper.

“Did I hear you say it was almost Halloween?” Chandler asked.

Kurt’s frown deepened, and he turned the water on to cover the sound of his voice. “Yeah, in two weeks. Why?”

“Kurt, the veil between your world and the spirit world is at its thinnest on All Hallows’ Eve. It may already be thinning.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Kurt asked, looking a little paler than normal.

Chandler gripped at his hair and yanked on it in frustration. “It’s a very bad thing, Kurt! Not all spirits are just trying to help out their family one last time. Some spirits want revenge for perceived wrongs! With the veil so thin, they could break free and wreak havoc!”

“Okay, but what does that have to do with me? I mean, it’s not like I can keep the veil from thinning.”

Chandler shook his head, and began pacing. “Of course not! But they will be drawn to you, they’ll want to use you to get their revenge!”

Kurt crossed his arms and shook his head, adamantly denying the other’s claim. “No way! I wouldn’t help them! I’d tell them to go to hell!”

“Most of them have already been there. And you wouldn’t have a choice-” A knock on the door interrupted whatever Chandler was going to say next.

“Kurt? Are you okay?” Blaine called out.

Kurt looked at the spirit guide. “We’ll continue this later, when I’m alone.” 

“But Kurt! It’s important!” Chandler tried to argue, but Kurt just splashed some water on his face, before turning the water off and going to the door. 

“Sorry, was feeling a little sleepy, so splashed some cold water on my face to wake myself up.”

Blaine looked at him in concern. “Are you feeling okay? You aren’t getting sick, are you?”

Kurt hastily reassured him. “No, no! It’s just been a long week, and Dalton’s curriculum is much harder than McKinley’s.”

“Oh, well we don’t have to work on this tonight if you are tired. We can do it in the morning.”

“It’s okay, I’m fine. And I really do like your idea about classic Hollywood movie monsters! I have so many ideas!”

…

Chandler shook his head in frustration as the pale boy walked away from him again. The Hummel boy was proving to be very stubborn. In fact, Kurt reminded him very much of himself when he had been alive. The similarities between them were uncanny.

Like the other boy, Chandler had been bullied and tormented to the point where he’d thought about killing himself. Except in Chandler’s case, he hadn’t tried. He’d died from an aneurysm three days after being shoved in a hallway at school and hitting his head on a doorknob. After his death, he’d had a choice, He could pass on to the next life, or he could remain and help those who had been touched by Death, but had chosen life.

Chandler had chosen to be a guide because in life, he had hoped to become a counselor to kids like himself. Kurt was his first assignment, and he was proving to be rather stubborn. He had to make Kurt understand just how dangerous this time of year could be. He’d just have to make the boy listen. Prepared to bug the boy nonstop until he gave in and paid attention, even if it meant annoying him in front of the other boy, he took a step towards the other room, but stopped when movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to look at the mirror.

He had no reflection of course, but there was someone there. A dark, shadowed outline pushed through the glass, just as Chandler had done to Kurt the other day. Now Chandler understood why the pale boy hated when he did that. It was totally creepy. 

The thought died (no pun intended) in his head and he froze in terror as the top portion of the shadow body broke free and captured him in very real feeling claws that seemed to smother him as it drew him back through the barrier.

…

Kurt spent the better part of Saturday morning continuing his search of the internet for the current whereabouts of the spirit boy’s mother. It had proven difficult, as there were numerous women with the same name, Naomi Peterson, in the state of Ohio. Today he’d decided to look into the boy’s obituary for any clues he could come up with, and thought he may have found something when the article mentioned his sister’s name. 

He cross referenced Naomi Peterson and Hannah Peterson, and found an address in Columbus. Another search found a high school picture of Hannah, which when compared to the family photograph in the Obituary, proved that it was indeed the same girl, just older. Feeling triumphant, Kurt printed up an address label, with Dalton Academy as the return address, and affixed it to the envelope. He’d just dropped it into the outgoing mail when his phone rang.

He sighed when he saw the caller ID. “Hi, Dad. I’m fine. You don’t have to call and check on me.”

“Hello to you, too, Kurt. The return of your snark is an encouraging sign. Now tell me the truth. How are you really doing?”

Kurt sighed again. “I’m fine, really. I know you won’t believe me, and you have good reason not to, but it is the truth.”

“Okay, kiddo. How are things at Dalton? Are they treating you okay? Anyone bothering you?”

“Dalton is great, actually. No one has bothered me. The boys here are nice, especially the Warblers. Did Finn tell you about his and Rachel’s visit?”

Burt chuckled. “That girl is insane. I’m glad those boys stuck up for you. How’s your stomach?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “It’s fine. The food here is a bit rich, but they usually have something I can eat.” That was a lie, and he knew it. Most of the food felt like lead in his stomach, and made him feel like his intestines were being shredded from within, but he wasn’t about to tell his dad that. He’d caused the older man enough worry as it was. Guilt washed over him once more. “I’m sorry, dad. I never meant to put you through that. I just...felt so hopeless.”

“I get it, Kurt. I know you don’t believe me, but after what you went through, I understand. I just wish you’d come to me, told me what was going on before it went that far! I could have transferred you sooner, saved you that horror!”

Kurt sniffled and wiped a tear from his eye. “I didn’t want to put any more stress on you. You’d just woken up from the coma, and I was terrified it would give you another heart attack.”

“Yeah, well, finding you laying on the floor, unresponsive and not breathing nearly did give me another heart attack!”

“I’m sorry, dad!” Kurt said, openly sobbing now. “I’m so sorry!”

“Enough of that, Kurt! Just don’t ever try anything like that again, please! I love you so much, kid! Please, just tell me when something like that happens, so I can do something about it!”

Kurt nodded and swiped at the tears again. “I will, I promise!”

“Okay, I’m going to hang up now, let you compose yourself,” Burt said, and Kurt could tell his dad was crying too. “I love you, Kurt!”

“Love you, too, dad. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up, still wiping tears and trying to pull himself back together.

“Kurt?” Blaine called out from down the hallway.

Startled, the pale boy turned away from his roommate, furiously trying to make the tears stop and hoping his nose wasn’t running, but the darker boy had already noticed that something was wrong.

“Kurt, what’s wrong? Are you crying? Are you hurt? Did someone say something or do something to you?”

Kurt just shook his head, trying to take deep breaths to calm himself. “Sorry, I was just talking to my dad.”

“Is he okay? Is something wrong?”

Kurt shook his head again. Blaine took his arm and guided him back to their dorm, and sat him down on his bed. “Come on, Kurt, talk to me. What’s wrong?”

Kurt sighed and took a deep breath, looking at the floor. For some reason, he felt like he could tell Blaine anything. The other boy had been so nice to him since he’d arrived, but would he still be so kind when he learned the truth?

He glanced up briefly to see the other boy had sat down across from him, and was waiting patiently for his response. 

He took another deep breath, looking back down at the floor. “I told you I’d been bullied pretty badly at my old school, but only my family knows everything. My friends in New Directions only know about the verbal abuse, and most of the physical abuse. They knew about the slushie facials, because they’d endured those, too. And they knew about the daily dumpster tosses, and the locker shoves.”

Blaine inhaled sharply, but didn’t say anything. Kurt was grateful, and continued speaking. “What they didn’t know was that one of the jocks, Karofsky, who was the worst of them, was in the closet, and hated himself because of it. He made it his life’s mission to make my life a living hell. One day, I just snapped, and followed him into the locker room. I should have thought it through before confronting him, but I just…”

“Couldn’t take it anymore?” Blaine offered, sounding sympathetic.

Kurt glanced up and offered a wry smile, before looking away again. “Yeah. Anyway, I chased him down and followed him into the locker room, and if I had thought about it, I probably would have confronted him somewhere more public, but I was so angry, I wasn’t paying attention to the fact that we were all alone, and there were no witnesses. 

“He grabbed me by the face and kissed me. I was in shock and didn’t know what to do, and before I came to my senses and pushed him away, he’d pinned me to the lockers and was grinding on me, groping at me through my clothes. I felt sick, and so dirty. I fought him off and ran all the way home. I ripped my clothes off, not caring that they were ruined. As far as I was concerned, they were contaminated, and should be burned. I got into the shower and scrubbed and scrubbed, but I still didn’t feel clean.”

Kurt went silent as he remembered that day. The feeling of disgust and self hatred that he’d allowed that to happen.

…

Blaine could tell that Kurt was trapped in the memory. He knew it would eat the boy up. “What happened next, Kurt?” He asked softly.

A shudder went through the pale boy. “I saw myself in the mirror. My skin was red and raw from me trying to scrub it off. I looked pathetic. I convinced myself that I was worthless, incapable of defending myself. A pathetic weakling, and that the world would be better off without me. My dad’s blood pressure medicine was sitting there on the counter. He’d just gotten it refilled a couple days before, so the bottle was pretty full. It took two tries to swallow them all.”

Blaine felt his heart clench. “Oh, Kurt!”

The other boy didn’t seem to hear him. “My dad found me lying on the floor. He screamed so loud, the neighbours must have heard him. My stepmom called the paramedics and did CPR. She’s a nurse. And my stepbrother, Finn, he stood there in the doorway, a look of horror on his face. I couldn’t believe the way he and my dad reacted, like their world had been ripped apart.”

Glasz eyes blinked, as if he was coming out of a trance. “The next thing I remember was being in the hospital. They told my teachers and friends that I’d been hospitalized because I passed out from a blood clot caused by the bullying.”

Blaine stood and moved to sit beside the other boy. “I’m so sorry Kurt! That’s horrible!”

Kurt flinched. “You don’t think I’m weak because I let some boy grope me?”

Blaine felt anger spike through him, and had to hold himself back, but he could tell some of that anger bled into his voice. “You did not LET him do anything. He forced himself on you. You were taken by surprise, and in shock. Your mind probably wasn’t able to process what was happening right away. You are not weak, and you have nothing to apologize for! You were the victim, Kurt!”

Kurt was looking at him with awe, and possibly a little more understanding. Blaine knew Kurt was probably recognizing the look on his face. “You?” The pale boy asked, softly.

Blaine let out a soft sigh. “Yeah, although not as bad as what you went through. I told you my former roommate was arrogant. Well, that was a bit of an understatement. He thought he was better than everyone else, and that he could just take whatever he wanted. He’d always put his arm around me, and make crude remarks, even though I told him I wasn’t interested. He thought it was cute, and that I was just playing hard to get. A couple of times I even woke up to find him staring at me as he jerked off.”

Kurt was looking at him wide eyed. “What did you do?”

“I told him to knock it off, threatened to have him expelled for harassment, but he’d just laugh. Apparently, his dad was on the board of directors of Dalton, or something like that, or so he bragged. Several boys had filed complaints about him, but he never got in trouble, so maybe his dad did have some kind of clout. When I talked to the Headmaster, he said his hands were tied, but he would try to have Sebastian transferred to another dorm, but he died a couple of days later, before they could move him.”

Kurt frowned. “How did he die?”

Blaine shrugged. “They said it was an accident. The Warblers had had a party that night at Wes’ family’s cabin in the woods, and someone spiked the punch, though I didn’t realize it until it was too late. I don’t remember much of what happened that night, other than the fact that Sebastian was being a bigger pervert than usual, and tried to corner me and get me alone in a room. I think I passed out at some point. I guess I don’t handle alcohol very well, because I couldn’t have drank that much, and none of the other Warblers seemed drunk.” He shrugged that off.

“Wes’s cabin is on a hill, and the balcony juts out over a rocky incline. No one saw him leave the party, but the next day, they found his body at the bottom of the hill. He had cocaine in his system. They figure he was high, and climbed over the railing and fell.”

They were both quiet for a while after that, each lost in thought. It was a knock on the door that drew their attention, and Wes called out.

“Blaine, Kurt? You’re late for lunch, is everything okay?”

…

Kurt quickly stood and moved into the bathroom to splash cold water on his face to try and reduce the puffiness from crying as Blaine answered the door. Something about the other boy’s story seemed off, but he couldn’t really put a finger on why.

Shrugging it off for the moment, he wiped his face and rejoined the other two boys, heading downstairs for lunch.

“Do you want some spaghetti?” Blaine asked, offering him a plate.

Kurt shook his head. “No thanks. Too much oregano, not enough basil!” He said, smiling kindly at the woman behind the counter as he took the baked fish and pilaf. “You know what I’d really love? A blackberry peach cobbler!”

Blaine grinned. “They used to serve one when I first started here, but the older woman who used to be in charge of the kitchen passed away not long after, and they don’t make it anymore. It’s a shame, too, it was so good!” They scanned their student IDs at the register and joined the other Warblers at their usual table.

“I’m actually a little surprised you brought up the cobbler,” Blaine said, looking at the pale boy.

“Why?” Kurt asked, taking a tiny bite of the fish.

The darker boy watched him chew. “You hardly eat anything at all. I thought maybe you might have an eating disorder.”

Kurt swallowed carefully, frowning down at his plate. When he spoke, it was so low, the other boy had to lean close to hear him. “The pills messed up the lining of my stomach, and I have a small ulcer now because of it. Plus, my esophagus was damaged when they suctioned my stomach.”

Blaine reached out and squeezed his hand under the table, and smiled at him.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, and after dinner they tracked down Jacobi and got to work making a list of the supplies they’d need for the Halloween party, as well as talking with the refreshment committee about the theme they’d decided on.

Both boys were pretty exhausted after the emotional day they’d had, and by unspoken agreement, had decided to go to bed early.

Kurt wasn’t sure how long he’d been asleep when he heard it. A soft whimpering sound. At first he thought it was just a dream, and started to roll over to go back to sleep, until Blaine’s cry of pain had him sitting up and looking over at the younger boy.

Kurt’s vision was still a little blurred from sleep, and the light from the digital alarm clock was just bright enough to cast distorted shadows around the room. For a moment, Kurt thought he saw a shadowy form hunched over the sleeping boy, one demonic looking, shadowy hand moving over Blaine’s chest.

Kurt flipped the lamp on, dispelling the strange shadow, and moved across the room.

“Blaine? Blaine, wake up, you’re having a nightmare!” 

The dark haired boy rolled over, and the blankets slipped down, revealing that the shorter boy’s shirt had ridden up, leaving his abdomen exposed. Kurt was surprised to see a long, jagged, angry looking scar running vertically down the right side of the olive toned flesh. 

Ignoring it for the moment, Kurt briefly debated whether or not to shake the other boy awake, but feared that might startle him and cause him to lash out. “Blaine? Wake up!”

The younger boy gasped and sat up, blinking around. “Oh, Kurt! Sorry. Bad dream. I have them now and then.”

Kurt nodded and took a step back. “It’s okay. Do you remember what it was about?”

Blaine frowned. “Same thing it’s always about. I told you I was bullied pretty bad at my old school, and that I missed a good portion of my Freshman year. I got beat up pretty badly after a school dance, almost died when one of them kicked me in the stomach, and his boot ripped into my side.” He put a hand to the scar on his side. “Actually, technically, I was dead, for almost a minute, before they brought me back.”

That surprised Kurt. Was Blaine like him? Did he see the dead too? But that couldn’t be, unless the other boy was very good at not reacting to the spirits around them.

“I’m sorry,” He offered, lamely. “Humans are the worst living things on the planet.”

Blaine smiled at him. “Thanks for waking me up.”

Kurt shrugged. “I wasn’t sure if I should or not. Are you okay now? Do you need anything? Water?”

Blaine shook his head. “I’ll be fine. You should go back to sleep. I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“It’s okay. Are you sure you don’t need anything?” 

“I’m fine.”

Kurt nodded and went back to his bed. “Do you want me to leave the light on?”

Blaine smiled at him. “No, it’s okay. Good night, Kurt.”

“Good night, Blaine,” he said, and slipped back into bed, before reaching out to shut off the light.

...

Across the room, the shadowy entity let out a frustrated, silent scream. The effort it had taken to breach the barrier had drained its strength, but it knew the veil was getting thinner. It would bide its time, regain its strength, and when the veil weakened enough, it would break free. It would have Blaine Anderson.


	5. The Mystery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know it’s been a while since I posted on this story, life got busy, and other writing projects took precedence. Also, I seem to have lost my beta somewhere :(.
> 
> Reviews are awesome, even if you just say love It or Good Job!

The Mystery

Kurt was still thinking about Blaine’s story about the night Sebastian died, sure that something wasn’t right about it. He’d spent the last three days thinking it over, picking it apart, and he kept coming back to one thing. How could Blaine have been the only one who had gotten drunk?

He decided he’d have to ask the other Warblers about it. He found Jeff in the Warbler’s common after dinner that night. The blonde boy was searching the leather sofas and under furniture when Kurt spotted him.

“Lose something?” He asked the taller boy. 

“My dorm key,” the other Warbler replied. “The last time I remember having it was at practice today. I think it fell out when we were rehearsing.”

“Want some help looking?”

“Sure.”

Kurt began running his hands between the cushions on the other couch, searching for the missing key. “So, Blaine told me about Sebastian the other day. Sounds like a creep to me.”

Jeff glanced up at him from behind the winged back chair in the corner. “I’m surprised he talked about him.”

Kurt shrugged. “We were exchanging war stories, so to speak.”

Jeff frowned as he studied Kurt for a moment. “Is that why you came to Dalton?” His voice was soft.

Kurt nodded. “Part of it, anyway. Blaine told me you guys were having a party when Sebastian died, but something he said didn’t make any sense to me. He said that the punch was spiked, but he was the only one who was drunk from it.”

A peculiar look crossed the other boy’s face, and he let out a little sigh. “Look, don’t tell Blaine, or he’ll get mad, but the truth is, only one cup of punch was spiked. It was supposed to be a joke, and Wes was supposed to get the one with alcohol, but Nick and I lost track of which cup was which.”

Kurt frowned. He could tell the other boy was lying, but he wasn’t sure about what. “Where’d the alcohol come from?”

The other boy wasn’t looking at him as he responded, which just made Kurt more suspicious. “Nick had gone to DC with his dad the week before, and they stayed in one of those hotels that have a complementary mini bar. Nick snuck two bottles of Vodka.”

Kurt just nodded his head, but was certain the other boy was lying. He stood up and held out the key that he had found wedged between the seats earlier that afternoon. “Is this it?”

Jeff looked and smiled. “Yes! Thanks!”

“No problem.”

…

The next day Kurt was trying to finish up his calculus homework at the breakfast table, when David sat down across from him. They were the only ones there so far. Kurt studied the council member for a moment.

“Hey, David, maybe you could clear something up for me.”

The darker boy smiled at him. “Sure, what’s up? Homework trouble?”

Kurt shook his head. “No, actually, I was going to ask you about something Blaine told me about the night his former roommate died.”

The other boy frowned, and Kurt knew he wouldn’t learn the truth from him before he even asked his question, but went with it anyway, interested in what the boy would say. “Blaine says he was the only one to get drunk off the spiked punch. How is that even possible?”

David looked towards the doors as he spoke. “Blaine had been under a lot of stress. I assume he’s told you about the bullying at his old school? We just wanted him to relax for a bit, so Nick spiked his cup with tequila. It was supposed to just mellow him out some, but I guess he’s just a lightweight.”

Kurt nodded, as if that explained everything. Why were the Warblers lying about the alcohol? What really happened that night?

...

Kurt was so absorbed in trying to figure out the mystery of what really happened that at first he didn’t notice anything strange going on amongst the spirits of Dalton. It was at lunch on Friday that he realized something was off. He’d spotted the young woman again, the one he often spotted watching him or Blaine.

Today she was watching Blaine again, and Kurt had a chance to really look her over. She and Blaine were about the same height. They both had dark curly hair, although the woman’s was longer, and seemed to be styled like a lot of the actresses in movies from the fifties. He couldn’t be sure, but thought the woman even had the same hazel eyes as Blaine. Were they related, he wondered?

His gaze drifted around the cafeteria then, looking for the other spirits that usually lingered there, only to realize that some of them seemed to be missing. The boy who seemed way too young to have been a student at Dalton was there, his huge, terrified eyes always moving around, tracking someone or something Kurt couldn’t see, but the older man who always seemed to be hovering over the boy wasn’t there today. Kurt was almost relieved, as the man had always made the hairs on the back of his head stand up. Come to think of it, Blaine had always seemed uncomfortable whenever the man was around as well, although he’d never given any indication that he could see the apparition.

Kurt glanced towards the back corner, where the man whose portrait hung in the main foyer usually stood, impassively watching over the boys, frowning whenever someone misbehaved or got too loud. The former Headmaster had apparently been a favorite of the boys back in the thirties. Despite being strict about the rules, he had been a fair man, and always had the boys’ best interest in mind. He wasn’t there today. There were at least four others missing, as well.

It was then that Kurt also realized that he hadn’t seen or heard from Chandler all week. The spirit guide usually popped in once a day to check on him. Kurt frowned, wondering if something was wrong, but then shrugged it off. The veil between the worlds was supposedly thinning. Perhaps the spirits were just off visiting other spirits, or something.

He as distracted from his musings as Blaine began talking about what still needed to be done for the Halloween party, which was less than a week away now. Kurt had been surprised at the budget they’d been given for decorations for a high school party. It was more than he earned at the garage in a week.

They had ordered life sized stills from a dozen or so classic horror movies from the forties and fifties, and had gone with a black and white, monochrome look, with lots of different shades of grey. 

Kurt rarely dressed up for Halloween, but Blaine had convinced him to dress as Count Dracula this year, while the Warblers’ lead soloist would be dressed as the Wolfman. 

They continued to talk about the decorating schedule for the following few days as they finished lunch. Kurt was so engrossed in his conversation, he never noticed the young spirit boy being dragged through the wall by the dark entity.


End file.
